Dragon Monarch System Chapter 1232:- Civil War [I]

Soon, the long-awaited civil war finally began. Under Emperor Ren’s orders, an army of approximately 500,000 soldiers began marching toward the central region of the Northern Grassy Plains. The enormous army advanced in an organised formation, with different military units following their respective commanders.

Naturally, such a large movement could not escape the attention of the Anti-Emperor Faction’s scouts, who had been stationed at various observation points across the Northern Grassy Plains.

As soon as the scouts confirmed the enemy’s movements, the information was immediately relayed to the Anti-Emperor Faction’s headquarters.

"Reporting, Your Majesty! Our scouts have confirmed that approximately 500,000 enemy soldiers have left their camp and are currently marching toward the battlefield." One of the military officers reported to Boris.

Hearing this, Boris showed little surprise. He had already expected Ren to make the first move, and the number of soldiers being deployed was also within his expectations. Although 500,000 soldiers was an enormous force, it was still only a portion of Ren’s total army.

Both factions understood that the opening confrontation was unlikely to determine the outcome of the entire civil war. Instead, it would serve as an opportunity to test the opposing army’s strength, observe its military formations, and understand how its commanders intended to conduct the battle.

Neither side was willing to commit all its available forces before gaining a better understanding of the enemy’s capabilities.

After considering the report for a moment, Boris made his decision. "We’ll meet them with 500,000 soldiers of our own." Boris declared.

He then turned toward the military commanders gathered inside the tent. "Freya, you will take command of 100,000 soldiers. Your forces will operate as an independent formation, and you will be responsible for directing their movements throughout the battle."

"Understood." Freya replied with a nod.

Boris then turned his attention toward the remaining commanders. "As for the remaining 400,000 soldiers, we will divide them into two Army Corps, each consisting of 200,000 soldiers."

An Army Corps consisted of 200,000 soldiers and was commanded by a high-ranking military officer. Each Corps was further divided into four Divisions, with each Division containing 50,000 soldiers.

These Divisions were then divided into five Brigades of 10,000 soldiers each. This arrangement allowed the commanders to issue orders through a clear chain of command rather than attempting to personally control hundreds of thousands of soldiers at once.

For the upcoming battle, the two Army Corps would form the main fighting force of the Anti-Emperor Faction, while Freya’s 100,000 soldiers would operate under her direct command.

"Each Corps Commander will be responsible for directing the four Divisions under his command. The Division Commanders will coordinate with their respective Brigade Commanders to ensure that orders are carried out properly."

He looked around the tent before adding, "Remember, we’re not sending our entire army into battle today. Our objective is to understand how Ren intends to fight and determine the strengths and weaknesses of his forces. Don’t recklessly sacrifice soldiers just to gain a temporary advantage."

The commanders nodded seriously. Although this was only the opening confrontation, everyone understood that the battle would still be extremely dangerous. With 500,000 soldiers being deployed by each faction, nearly one million soldiers would soon be facing one another on the Northern Grassy Plains.

Even if both sides considered this an initial test of strength, the casualties could still be enormous.

With the orders issued, the military commanders immediately began making their preparations. Messages were sent to the respective Corps, Division, and Brigade Commanders, instructing them to assemble their soldiers and prepare to advance toward the battlefield.

Under Boris’s temporary command, the Anti-Emperor Faction began mobilising its first 500,000 soldiers to confront Emperor Ren’s advancing army.

Soon, the armies of the Anti-Emperor Faction and the Emperor Faction began marching toward each other from opposite sides of the Northern Grassy Plains. Each faction had deployed approximately 500,000 soldiers, bringing the total number of cultivators participating in the opening battle to nearly one million.

The Northern Grassy Plains, which had remained relatively peaceful for countless years, was now filled with the sounds of marching soldiers, roaring magic animals, and the constant movement of military equipment.

From a distance, the two enormous armies resembled two vast waves slowly advancing toward one another.

The soldiers marched in organized formations, with each Army Corps divided into smaller units under the command of their respective officers. Thousands of military banners fluttered above the advancing troops, displaying the emblems of the noble families and military divisions participating in the war.

On the Anti-Emperor Faction’s side, the soldiers marched beneath banners representing Aditya and the nobles who supported his claim to the Imperial Throne. On the opposite side, the Emperor Faction advanced beneath the Imperial banners of Emperor Ren.

The difference between the two armies was clearly visible from the sky. Although both sides had organized their forces into various formations, their banners, military equipment, and the colors of their armor made it easy to distinguish one faction from the other.

As the armies continued advancing, the ground beneath their feet trembled continuously.

The combined footsteps of hundreds of thousands of soldiers created a deep, rumbling sound that could be heard from several kilometers away. Clouds of dust rose behind the marching formations, spreading across the grassy plains and partially obscuring the rear sections of both armies.

The sheer number of soldiers made it impossible to see the entire battlefield from the ground. Even cultivators with enhanced eyesight could only observe a portion of the enormous armies stretching across the plains.

The front lines alone extended for many kilometers, while the remaining troops followed behind in successive formations. Infantry units occupied the central sections, with other specialized forces positioned along the flanks and behind the main formations.

Thousands of artillery pieces and magical cannons were being transported alongside the advancing armies. Some were mounted on reinforced carriages, while others were enormous stationary weapons that required several cultivators to operate.

These weapons had been specially designed for large-scale warfare between powerful cultivators. Unlike ordinary cannons, many of them used mana crystals or specially prepared magical ammunition to launch attacks capable of threatening even Fourth Order and Fifth Order cultivators.

Behind the main fighting formations, military officers continuously issued orders, ensuring that the soldiers maintained their positions and did not break formation before reaching the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Boris had chosen to remain at the Anti-Emperor Faction’s headquarters rather than personally accompany the army.

As the temporary Supreme Commander, his responsibility was to oversee the entire military operation and coordinate the movements of the forces participating in the war. From the headquarters, he could receive reports from different sections of the battlefield and issue orders whenever necessary.

However, that did not mean the advancing army was without powerful cultivators watching over it.

Several hundred meters above the Northern Grassy Plains, Malakor Harrington silently floated in the sky. As a Seventh Order cultivator, Malakor possessed the ability to observe an enormous portion of the battlefield from his elevated position. His gaze moved across the advancing armies as he carefully monitored the movements of both factions.

Standing beside him was another Seventh Order cultivator who served under Aditya. The two remained relatively quiet as they watched the enormous armies slowly approach one another.

Their presence was not intended to help the Anti-Emperor Faction’s soldiers defeat the enemy directly. Rather, they were there to ensure that the Seventh Order cultivators supporting Emperor Ren did not suddenly interfere with the battle and begin slaughtering the lower-order soldiers.

After all, the difference in strength between a Seventh Order cultivator and an ordinary Fourth Order or Fifth Order cultivator was enormous. If someone at the Seventh Order decided to attack the densely packed formations below, a single large-scale attack could potentially kill thousands of soldiers. Even if the soldiers attempted to defend themselves, most would have little chance of surviving such an attack.

Naturally, the Emperor Faction had also sent its own Seventh Order cultivators to oversee the battle. On the opposite side of the battlefield, three Seventh Order cultivators floated high above Ren’s advancing army.

Initially, one of them had considered taking advantage of the situation by launching a surprise attack against the Anti-Emperor Faction’s soldiers before the two armies could clash.

With hundreds of thousands of cultivators gathered in relatively dense formations, it would not have been difficult for a Seventh Order cultivator to inflict enormous casualties with a single powerful attack. If he could eliminate a significant number of enemy soldiers before the battle properly began, the Emperor Faction would gain an immediate numerical advantage.

However, his intentions changed when he noticed Malakor Harrington and the other Seventh Order cultivator observing the battlefield from the opposite side. The two were clearly keeping an eye on the Emperor Faction’s strongest cultivators.

Most importantly, standing opposite him was Malakor Harrington himself. The man whose name itself put fear in the hearts of his enemies. If it were anyone other than Malakor Harrington himself standing opposite him, then he would have definitely considered attacking.

If he attempted to attack the Anti-Emperor Faction’s soldiers, Malakor and his companion would undoubtedly intervene. Even if they failed to stop his attack completely, they could retaliate by targeting the Emperor Faction’s soldiers.

In that situation, both sides would suffer enormous casualties before their armies had even engaged in direct combat. After considering the consequences, the Seventh Order cultivator abandoned his original idea.

For the time being, it was better to remain an observer. The three Seventh Order cultivators from the Emperor Faction maintained their positions in the sky, while Malakor and his companion continued watching them from a distance. Neither side made any attempt to approach the other.

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